Mary Philpotts McGrath was voted to Life Membership in the Outrigger Canoe Club at the Annual Meeting on February 12, 2018. Mary joined the Outrigger in 1948. She is the fourth generation of her family to belong to the Outrigger: the first one, J. R. Macfarlane Jr., was a charter member. Her grandmother, Kamokila Campbell, began the tradition of filling the large trophy with champagne for the winners of the Senior Six in the Macfarlane Regatta, a tradition that was continued by her mother, Muriel Flanders, and now Mary and her sisters, Alice Guild and Judith Flanders.
Mary is the niece of Walter Macfarlane for whom the Fourth of July Regatta is named. But not to rest on family laurels, Mary has made her own outstanding contributions to the Outrigger as well.
As a youngster, Mary called the Club her “second home” having spent a great deal of time there. When old enough, she paddled and played volleyball. After graduating from Punahou, Mary attended the University of Colorado and the University of Hawaii. She has had a long and illustrious career as an interior designer.
In 1984, Mary joined the Long Range Planning Committee and later served on the Finance and Building and Grounds Committees. She was elected to the Board of Directors in 1993, and in 1998 became the first woman president in the Club’s history, an amazing accomplishment. During her term of office, Mary’s major objective was to keep member’s dues from going up. Firmly believing that Outrigger is a family Club, she successfully worked to maintain the level of expenses necessary to cover all members of the family.
Since her tenure on the Board, Mary has continued to assist in any way she can, recently serving on the Ad Hoc Committee to select replacement tables and chairs for the Koa Lanai, Hau Terrace and Ka Mo’i Lounge.
Board of Directors
1993 Coordinating Director Public Relations
1994 Coordinating Director House
1995 Coordinating Director House
1996 Vice President Activities
1997 Vice President Operations
1998 President
Building & Grounds Committee
2006 Member
2007 Member
2008 Member
Finance Committee
1998 Member
Historical Committee
2018 Consultant
2019 Member
2020 Member
2021 Member
Long Range Planning Committee
1984 Member
1987 Member
1988 Member
1989 Member
1990 Member
Marketing Adhoc Committee
1993 Member
1994 Member